Signal-light



(No Model.)

G. T. PARRY.

SIGNAL LIGHT.

No. 448,069. Patented MarLlO, 1891.

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NrrEn STATES GEORGE T. PARRY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL-LIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,069, dated March. 10, 1891.

Application filed October 6, 1890.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. PARRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reflecting Marine Signal-Lights; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

l\lyinventionconsistsinanovelcombination, with the respective ordinary starboard and larboard red and green marine signal-lights, of novel signal-light-reflecting means, as hereinafter described, arranged at a considerable but suitable distance from and in rear of the said lights, whereby the rays or beams of the said lights are conveyed therefrom longitudinally a proper distance backward, and then reflected upon appropriately-colored glasses at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vessel carrying said lights and said signalglasses, thus showing at the front the proper illuminated light-signal, and also at the side properly-illuminated light-signals, the said front and side signals being visible to persons on one vessel when the other vessel is moving or crossing directly across the bow of their vessel.

It also consists in certain novel details of construction of the reflected-light signals, whereby the reflected light is confined, and thus a more powerful reflected-light signal obtained.

The objects of my invention are, first, to preserve the integrity of the ordinary main marine signal-lights and prevent them and the reflected light derived therefrom and used for illuminating the reflected-light signal-glasses from blending, and thereby misleading those in charge of marine vessels so as to endanger life and property, and, second, to. avoid the necessity of employing two independent lamps and the consequent expense and labor of keeping the additional set of lamps in proper order.

It has been desirable for a long time to have the head-lights of a vessel so arranged as to show to a certainty if one vessel is coming toward another in a slanting direct-ion or crossing directly across her bow. The pres broken away.

Serial No. 367,260. (No model.)

ent system of red and green light is universal, although it has been decided by high authority to be defective and uncertain, and while this is so the same authority has announced that theem ployment or useof two additionalor separate lamps would be too troublesome and expensive and liable to be neglected, and therefore less safety insured than if the present plan is adhered to. To remedy the acknowledged defect and to meet the obj ection to the use of two separate lamps on each side of the vessel and insure a vessels safety at night and perfect the present system without the additional expense and trouble above mentioned, I have devised the following means: I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of a marine vessel provided with my invention, the latter shown with the top coverings removed. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of one of 'my improved reflecting signal-lights. Fig. 3 is a top view of acomplete reflecting signal-light. .Fig. 4 is a vertical central longitudinal section of the rear portion of the same, the front portion being Fig. 5 is a vertical section in the line 00 0c of Fig. 3.

The letter A in the drawings represents a marine vessel of any known construction; B, a front box containing the lamp D; and O, a rear box containing the reflected-light signalglasses. The front box 13 consists of a bottom 7), a side wall I), and. an end wall b In the corner formed by the three parts Z) Z) Z) thelamp D is placed, the same serving as the front light. In line with the flame of the lamp a hole b is provided in the end wall 19 through which light from the lamp enters a tube 0 placed within the box 0. The box 0 is fastened by means of screw-bolts c to the end wall Z) of the box 13, and the tube 0 of preferably opaque material, is fastened to the front wall of said box and extended back, preferably in flaring form, to a light-reflecting chamber 0' at the rear end of said box, being in communication with said chamber. The shape or angle of said flaringtube should answer as nearly as possible the angle of radiation of the light emitted from the lamp D.

'The length of the tube 0 may be varied according to the size of the vessel on which the lights are placed; but it will under all circumstances be -best to use a rather long tube in order to insure such a distance between the main light derived, the lamp D, and light reflected from said lamp and conducted through the tube 0 to the reflecting-chamber O of the box 0. This is essential in order that the front and side lights maybe very distinctly seen at a great distance without liability of blending. .Should the light from the lamp D- be passed immediately into a reflectingchamber, the light at the front and the reflectedslight at the side would become so soon. blended as to produce a very misleading signal. By giving the tube 0 a flaring form toward the reflecting-chamber a very effective distribution of the rays of light from the lamp D is secured, as will be presently seen. Opposite the rear end of the tube 0 a concave mirror or reflector cl is attached to the end wall a of the reflecting-chamber G of the box 0 in an inclined position, so as to receive the diffused light emanating from the lamp D and passing through the flaring tube a and throw it upon a concave reflector 61, attached to the inner side wall 0 of the reflecting-chamber of the box C. The reflector d throws thelight through a colored glass d suitably secured in the front portion of the reflectingchamber of the box 0, as shown. 'The glass d is best when made round and set in aplate painted black, as by this construction there will be less blending of the front and side lights.

Extending from the reflecting-chamber C of the box 0 are three guards c c c for the purpose of preventing the upward, backward, and forward dissipation of the reflected light passing through the glass (Z The guards c are at the sides of the glass and prevent lateral spread-i'ngof the light, while the guard c is above the said glass and prevents the upward spreading of the, light. The color of the glass d is the same as that of the lamp D, so that when the broadside of a vessel is exposedto view two lights of the same color are visible. When only one colored light is seen, the vessel forms an acute angle with the line of vision and is moving obliquely toward the observer. This latter position of the vessel has heretofore been the cause of many accidents, because in dark nights it has been mistaken for the right-angular position, and thus caused the mariner to pursue his own course too long and rendered a collision unavoidable. The same mistakes may occur when the reflected light is placed close to the lamp D in front of it, because at 'a more or less distance the two lights'will'blend and appear as one to the observer, and although this blending may cease as the distance diminishes, at the same time the chances for correction are lessened to the same extent, which is especially the case with steamers and fast-sailing vessels.

YVhile I prevent the reflected light from spreading laterally by means of the guard c and an upward spreading by the very short guard c of the reflected light, I at the same time by using no guard at the bottom insure that the light shall not be hidden from observers when the vessel is rolling in a storm. The guards c 0 may therefore be made longer than represented, but the guard 0 should be about as narrow as shown.

In using one lamp for the main light and the reflected signal-light the duties of the attendant are lessened, and I insure a uniform intensity of the two lights, which is not so per- 'fectly accomplished with two independent lamps, one for the front and the other for the side.

From the aforegoing description it will be seen that by the adoption of my invention the present system of using and interpreting marine signal-lights is in no way interfered with, and no new rules will have to be laid down for the use and interpretation of signal-lights .constructed in accordance therewith, for the reason that the functions of the reflected lights are strictly co-operative with the main or front signal-lights, the latter fz'icilitating the observation of the same.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In marine signals, the box B, having asignal lamp D, in combination with the box C, comprising a conducting-tube c connecting the signal-lamp box with the reflecting-chamber, a reflecting-chamber O, reflecting means, and a colored signal-glass, substantially asdescribed.

2. In marine signals, in combination, the lamp D, giving a colored light in a forward and sidewisedirection, the reflectors (Z 01, reflecting-chamber 0', having a signal-glass (Z and a tube 0 connecting the signal-lamp wit-h the reflectin g-chamber and forming a communication between the lamp-box and the reflector-chamber O, of the box 0, the said signal-glass d giving a light-signal in a lateral direction and of'the same color as the signal of lamp D, substantially as described.

3. In marine signals, in combination, a signal-lamp connected by a tube with a reflecting-chamber and giving a colored light in a rear, forward, and sidewise direction, a reflected light of the same color at a distance from the same, and guards for preventing the reflected light from spreading laterally unduly, substantially as described.

4. In a marine signal-light, the combination of the box B, lamp D, box 0, having a reflecting-chamber C, a flaring tube c ,-and suitable reflecting means arranged within the reflecting-chamber in proper relation to the flaring end of said tube, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE T. PARRY. Witnesses:

WILLIAM WEIsEIsEN, J M. RUsn J ERMON. 

